Renaissance Man
by Balthezira
Summary: Having fallen on tough times, Edward, with nowhere else to go, joins a traveling Renaissance fair. Along his travels he finds the love, friendship and family that he's never had. Edward/Jasper and all human! Rated M for mild language and future explicit content.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I do not own Twilight.  
**Warning:** This fic contains a male/male relationship. It is rated M for future explicit content and mild language. You have been warned! All human.  
**Summary:** Having fallen on tough times, Edward, with nowhere else to go, joins a traveling Renaissance fair. Along his travels he finds the love, friendship and family that he's never had. Edward/Jasper

* * *

**Renaissance Man** **Chapter One**

**[Edward POV]**

Looking back, cleaning up trash at the transient Renaissance fair was definitely not on my top ten list of jobs. Yet here I am, sweeping up the wrappers discarded from those grotesquely large turkey legs and the bright synthetic feathers that can't seem to stay attached to anyone's cheap costumes. The job is made all the more difficult by the fact that there are no paved pathways here, just simple, dirt ones that are half filled-in with old woodchips. It also doesn't help that the flashy mobs of people stomp down these paths like cattle being herded from one stage show to another, track through all of the trash I have been sweeping into little, neat piles at regular intervals. It makes my job nearly impossible, yet I persist because this was the only job I was able to find.

I am alerted to the sound of another show finishing by the start of loud applause breaking out, echoing off the wooden stalls from a stage just a little ways ahead and signaling the closing of the fair for today. I pause to wipe the sweat from my brow and sweep my pile of litter off the path a little ways to the side to keep it safe from the impending swarm of people about to flood onto the path.

I wrinkle my nose as the crowd surges past me. It's an un-seasonally hot September day today and everyone seems to have forgone their deodorant in favor of the more natural, musky smell of the medieval. I nearly have to plug my nose as a small group (or should I say pack) of weirdos wearing furs, animal ears and even tails walks past. They smell just like the animals they are dressed as and I wonder if they have even bathed in days.

I feel a little twinge deep down when I remember that I haven't bathed in days either.

I just sigh and continue on with my sweeping after the last few stragglers hasten up the pathway. Unlike that shaggy, fetid bunch, I have not gone without bathing by choice. I am forced by my situation... My mind wanders back to a few years ago as I sweep mechanically.

When I was fifteen, both of my parents, Elizabeth and Edward Masen Sr., died in a terrible car crash. I was not in the car with them. If I had been, I would have died as well. Everyone tells me how lucky it was that I stayed home sick that day, but sometimes I wish I had been there with them after all. My life certainly has not been very easy or indeed, happy since my parents' death.

I don't have any other relatives, so things were really uncertain for me after my parents died. The courts were going to send me to live with foster parents, but luckily, my best friend's parents offered to take me in instead and the courts acquiesced. Emmett's parents had always been like a second family to me, so I definitely could have been worse off. Yet, though I lived there for four years, it never really felt like home. And though I enjoyed Emmett's company throughout high school, when we graduated and it was time for him to go to college, I knew it was time for me to leave.

Emmett was going away to Washington State University and was going to live in the dorms on campus. His parents offered to let me continue to live with them, for I was like another son, they told me, but I felt like an intruder. I just couldn't stay. Yet, I couldn't go to college either because I hadn't been left any money by my parents- just a few small debts which the courts had cleared up. I could never afford college, so when Emmett left, I left off on my own, too. But I didn't have anywhere to go.

It was really difficult for the first month or so. I had nowhere to live and could not find a job anywhere, either. It just seemed like no one was hiring anyone in our small town. Everyone knew me and felt sorry for me, but I was still turned down door after business door. I came to live in the local park for a while, surviving on small odds and ends jobs, but it was definitely rough going. If it hadn't been summer, I'm really not sure I would have made it.

That all changed recently when I saw a flyer for a traveling Renaissance fair that was going to be in town for a few weeks. On a whim, I decided to check if they needed any part-time help. The owner took one very long look at my thin and haggard appearance and agreed to hire me as a janitor for the duration of their stay. He pays me under the table and was even nice enough to give me a small advance, which I spent on a tent, a few essentials and some food. He has allowed me to set up camp at the back of the grounds where all of the vehicles, trailers and RVs owned by the fair are parked. I could tell that he felt sorry for me and, had I been in a different position, I would have hated having to rely on him like this. As it is, I'm just not in a position to decline his charity. I need this job. It's not the best situation to be sure, but at least I have a roof over my head (or a tent, anyway) and food. Honestly, I don't know where I'd be without this job and yet my time is running out.

The fair was only scheduled to be here for a few weeks, after all, so though I procured this job just before the fair's opening, I have very little time left here. About three more days, in fact. I will be helping tear everything down after the fair closes, too. Today is the final day that we are open to the public and that, at least, gives me some small bit of satisfaction. Though I desperately need this job, I will not miss some things about place. Like the odor for example; everything here smells like sweat, porta-johns, and tanned, dead animals. Mixed with the incense, it's downright nauseating on a hot day like today...

"Hey, you there!" My head jerks up from my sweeping, searching for the owner of the voice. "Over here," it comes again. I whip around to see one of the real fair workers calling to me from the very stage the crowd was leaving from. I walk over to stand in front of the stage and just look up at him questioningly. The man currently towering above me wipes his hand on his black, skin-tight leather pants and holds it out to me. "I'm Jasper."

Noting that that the wiping was rather ineffective in removing the perspiration, I grasp the hand uncertainly in my own, only to be hauled up onto the stage to stand in front of him. I'm caught just a bit off guard and, for a moment, I can only stare. I spend a brief moment taking the man in. Up close, I notice red flames embedded in the black leather of his (way too tight) pants and a pair of heavy-duty work boots. He's rather tall with wavy, shoulder-length, dirty-blond hair and his skin has that perfect, golden tan that many people strive to copy, but can really only be achieved through honest, hard work out in the hot sun. He wears nothing from the waist up and his whole upper body and arms are glistening in the sun from sweat and some kind of gel that's been smeared all over, and must have something to do with his performance. All in all, the man looks completely ridiculous.

Reddening slightly under my, apparently disapproving, gaze, he laughs a little and glances down at himself. "Yeah, it's a little over the top, but the ladies really love it," he jokes with a wink that just earns him a grimace. "Seriously though, I get a lot more tips if I'm dressed like this" he tells me, shaking a small, jingling, fabric bag as proof. His voice is deep with a thick, Southern twang to it and I can't help but wonder where he's from.

Smiling lightly, he heads to the back of the stage where sits a bunch of heavy-looking equipment and glances back at me. "Jake is supposed to help me tear all this down, but he hasn't showed up. Kid's so irresponsible sometimes, always on that motorbike of his… Anyway," he says, "I could really use your help…." His voice trails off as he looks at me with a quirked eyebrow.

"Edward," I reply, catching the hint. "Good to meet you, Edward. My name is Jasper Hale. Now, if you'll grab the end of that over there…"

It's definitely hard work tearing down the set, which I soon find out is for fire-breathing, and loading it onto a few trailers waiting in the back. We work in a quiet, companionable silence and we get it done.

It's getting a bit dark when we finally finish loading everything. Jasper turns to look at me one last time and extends a now sweat-free hand to me and I shake it briefly. "It was nice meeting you, Edward. I'll see you around, okay?" He smiles in parting and hitches one of the trailers to a waiting truck and drives off. In the fading light, it's hard to really see the dirt paths, and I know it's no use trying to finish up sweeping. I head back to my tent for the night.

* * *

**[Jasper POV]**

"Hey, Jasper, over here!" A high-pitched voice calls to me from the bright campfire glowin' in the distance about ten yards from my RV's door. I roll my eyes and head over, beer in hand. We gather 'round this fire almost every night and still she feels the need to call me over.

I sit down on the log next to my best friend, Alice. Across from us sits Jacob and his girlfriend, Bella. It's a small crowd tonight, as it's been a busier than on a normal day, but it's pleasant nevertheless.

Jacob avoids my gaze sheepishly as I glare across the fire at him. Alice and Bella giggle at his discomfort and he finally breaks. "Sorry about showing up, man, my bike broke down out on the trail and I had a heck of a time getting it working again," he apologizes, glancin' to Bella for her confirmation. "It's true," she affirms, nodding vehemently.

I don' believe a word of it, of course. Not only does the story sound a little too rehearsed, but I've seen Jacob practically build a bike from scratch in no time flat. He's our resident mechanic, for fuck's sake. I just roll my eyes and take a sip of my beer and it's Bella's turn to grin sheepishly at me.

I love these comfortable evenin's gathered 'round the campfire. It feels more like home than anywhere else on Earth, and believe me, I've been to a lot of places. This is the life. I love my job.

I've been starin' off into the campfire for an hour or so, just daydreamin' and enjoyin' the environment when I see a small light in the distance, which causes me to glance up. The wielder of the light appears to be headin' to the small staff restrooms from the tent that's been sittin' on the edge of our camp. We don' usually hire locals so I was very surprised to see it here. I've never seen the occupant before now, but in the dim light I think I can make out who it is.

My mind wanders back to earlier when Edward was helpin' me tear down the stand and I can't believe that I'd never noticed the man before. Had he been workin' here the whole time?

I'd been lookin' around for Jake, and was about ready to chase the man down, when I saw Edward sweeping a long the path, looking deep in thought and absolutely stunning. God, but wasn't he a catch! I don' know why, but there was just somethin' about this man that screamed out to me. I wouldn' call it love at first sight, but it was definitely something.' I just couldn' help callin' out to him for his help.

When he went to shake my hand, I couldn' help pullin' him up for a better look. He was just a bit shorter than me, with messy, reddish-brown hair that just glistened in the sunlight with the sweat of hard work. He was thin, a little on the scrawny side, even, and I could tell he wasn' used to such hard work, but he did everythin' without complainin' once, tryin' to appear confident when really, he had no idea what he was doin.' He seemed a little rough around the edges, but I could still tell he was a genuinely good person and he'd had a snarky little attitude that I just find too cute. I wanted him. Bad. It's not too often you meet a guy like him on the road, like we are. Too bad he's obviously not into guys. That much was easy to see, the way he looked at my skin-tight pants and naked chest.

I groan inwardly, but only let a little sigh escape my lips. It's my loss, certainly, but it don' mean we can't be friendly for the few remainin' days we've got left here, right? Things obviously aren' goin' his way if he's livin' in a tent and maybe I can kinda be there for him. God knows I really needed a friend when I was goin' through some rough times myself a few years ago… Yeah, so maybe it's just an excuse, but I'd really like to see the man again.

"Hey, Edward!" I call, jumpin' up upon seein' the figure exit the restrooms. He freezes on the spot, confirmin' my suspicions and I can see him glance over to where I am standin' by the fire. I motion him over. The others stare at me and I just shrug. They'll jus' have to deal with the intrusion.

Edward really takes his time in comin' over, but eventually comes to a rest at my side. In a sort of reverse of this mornin', he is now towerin' above me. His hair reflects gold in the sharp firelight and it looks a lot less unruly than it was this mornin'. Yet, there's a fierce flame in his bright green eyes has not lost its spark. As a firebreather, I am deeply attracted to that flame...

Everyone's just lookin' at him so I decide to play host and stand up to introduce him to the rest of the group. "Everyone, this is Edward. He helped me tear my set down today when _somebody_ didn't show up." I glare pointedly at Jacob and I can see him redden slightly under my gaze. I won't razz him too much, though, because if he _had_ showed up, Edward wouldn' be standin' here. Edward looks at Jacob too. "So _you're_ the reason I didn't get to finish my job today," he comments with that snarky tone of his that makes me grin. Everyone laughs at Jacob's discomfort and the tension is broken.

Alice scoots to the other side of the bench and motions for Edward to sit between us. "I'm Alice," she tells him, "and this is Jacob and Bella," she continues, pointin' to our companions in turn. They smile and nod and the conversation returns to a somewhat normal state.

Edward seems to have just settled in when, out of nowhere, comes, "so, why do you live in a tent?" Alice and I glare over at Jacob. "You're completely tactless, Jacob, that's so rude!" Alice chides and Jacob's face reddens again. Edward's face has reddened too and I can tell it's a question that he didn' really want to answer. I glance briefly at Alice and she catches my meanin' and changes the conversation.

She rolls her eyes at Jacob. "Speaking of rude, what _exactly_ went wrong with your dirt bike earlier, again?" He squirms under her gaze as he stumbles tryin' to find a suitable answer. I mentally thank Alice for allowin' Edward to avoid _that_ bullet and she and the other two are soon deep in conversation about the nature of Jacob's bike's shortcomin's (or lack thereof).

That's one thing I really love about Alice. We've been friends for so long that we can really read each other well. Hell, she's always been able to read me like a book. She knew I was gay from the moment I met her and could prolly tell you all of my other little secrets, too. She just has this uncanny knack, or should I say sense, about people. That's why she's our resident fortune teller. She reads palms, tea leaves, handwritin,' tarot cards and whatever else you like and she's never been wrong about anythin' yet… Really, though, she's my best friend. She's always got my back and, in another life, we might have been together. Her skinny, pixy-like stature and short black hair make her appealin' to a lot of the guys around here. But I could never see her as anything else but a little sister.

The other three chatter on for awhile. I'd say that Edward and I have lapsed into a companionable silence, except that he's mostly starin' at the ground now and I can tell that he's still broodin' over Jacob's question.

Alice was the first to leave, simply hoppin' up, givin' me a pat on the back and a bright wink. I simply glare at her knowin' smirk in response. Sometimes I really wish she didn' know quite so much about me… The other two soon follow, leavin' jus' Edward and myself behind.

I can't say it's not a little uncomfortable sittin' here with Edward as he is. Normally I prolly would have headed in by now, but I want to try to be there for him so I stay...

After a half hour or so of unbroken silence I've definitely begun to rethink my position. Edward has been keepin' quiet the whole time and things are finally beginnin' to get a bit awkward. Eventually, I decide it's prolly best to just head in. But as I move to rise, Edward seems to snap out of his trance and turns to look at me. I have to admit that the look he is givin' me is pretty pathetic.

"I don't really have anywhere else to go, you know," he tells me quietly. "I'm not proud of the way I'm living, but I don't really have any other choice at the moment…" he trails off before lookin' down again.

I don' really know what to say to that. I could tell things were kinda goin' bad for him, but I think things may be a little worse than I thought. Still, I want to be there for him... So I just put my hand on his shoulder and attempt to convey some of my innate calmness to him and say, "hey, we all go through some rough shit. But you know what? It gets better. There's somethin' out there for all of us, you know? And you just gotta figure out what that somethin' is. Things will fall into place eventually."

This earns me a small smile, but I can tell he's not really convinced. "I hope you're right, Jasper. Thanks for listening." And jus' like that, he's up and headin' back into the night toward his tent. I consider callin' after him, but in the end, I just shake my head. "Seeya 'round, Edward," I say to myself, puttin' out the fire and headin' in for the night.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! It's been a while, but this plot bunny has been just begging for me to write it. I hope y'all liked the beginning! You guys are what keeps me going, so please let me know you want more! Your interest keeps me interested.

This fic is a lot more serious and sentimental than my last. My characters are (I hope) a lot more "in-character" and, since I plan on this being a rather lengthy fic, they will also be a lot more developed. This is going Edward's journey as he finds love, friends, family and a home. You can also look forward to seeing a lot of cannon characters in the next few chapters!

Please also let me know what you think of Jasper's accent! I have no problem changing it if no one likes it.

By the way, I do know that a Renaissance Man is a real term. Oh well. I liked the name. :)

Thanks for reading, y'all!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I do not own Twilight.  
**Warning:** This fic contains a male/male relationship. It is rated M for future explicit content and mild language. You have been warned! All human.  
**Summary:** Having fallen on tough times, Edward, with nowhere else to go, joins a traveling Renaissance fair. Along his travels he finds the love, friendship and family that he's never had. Edward/Jasper

* * *

**Renaissance Man Chapter Two**

**[Jasper POV]**

The next day is gone in the blink of an eye. That always happens during tear-down. You'd think we'd all be used to it by now, but we all work extra-hard to get out on the road as fast as we can after an event and so it's always exhaustin.' We're off to California next and everyone is keen to get on our way as quickly as possible. If we finish soon enough tonight, then we'll be able to leave a day early and we'll be out on the road first thing tomorrow mornin'. My heart leaps at the idea of bein' on the road again, but I push the feelin' back. Later tonight will be for celebratin.' Right now I need to concentrate on what I'm doin.'

After some hard work that leaves me nearly finished, I take a moment to stop and stretch. It's been difficult tearin' down another set by myself. Usually I have Jacob helpin' me, but one of our jousters got himself injured on our last day and Jacob was chosen to fill in for his job today since I have one of the smaller sets an' all. If I'd had some help, I would be done already, but I ain't really complainin.'

Luckily, a lot of the setup here stays up year round, as it isn' really ours. Most of the towns we go to have locations set up that way and it really makes it convenient for us to come back year after year. Still, though, we do bring a lot of equipment like stalls and booths and all of 'em need to be torn down and re-packed in our trucks. The whole top-side of my stage is re-built at every event and has to be torn down when we go. All of the walls are put up in a way that makes them strong and sturdy, yet easy to dismantle. With my set, though, there's a lot of special fire-breathin' equipment that controls a lot of the effects in my show that has to be taken care of too. This set is a little bit easier, but they each come with their own challenges.

I'm just finishin' with a particularly stubborn piece of plywood when I hear a cheerful voice calling my name from behind. I toss the piece lightly to the ground behind the ready pickup and turn to greet Alice.

"Hey, Alice, how's everythin' goin' on your end?" I take the cold bottle of lemonade she's holdin' out to me and we both sit on the edge of the stage, our legs danglin' off the side.

"Oh, not too bad. We're almost finished, in fact! We'll be out of here tomorrow for sure," she exclaims happily and I know she'll be right. As usual. "Do you need any help finishing up around here?" she asks politely and I decline. She knows I don.'

"Nah, I'm 'bout done here myself," I tell her anyway and lean back in a stretch. I'd be lyin' if I said I weren't a little sore and I'm really lookin' forward to crawlin' in to bed tonight…

Alice just stares at me musingly for a moment, a bright gleam in her eyes and then pops up to her feet in one sudden movement. "I'll see you later, Jasper!" she exclaims and bounds off. I don' even find it strange anymore. That's just Alice.

I'm still lookin' after her when I hear the crunch of woodchips signalin' someone nearin' my stage from the side. I glance over, and then once more in a double-take when I notice Edward standin' there.

"Hey Jasper," he smiles in a friendly way. "I've just been wandering around helping everyone today. I saw you by yourself over here and was wondering if you needed a hand?"

I really don,' but I'll be damned if I'll let this last opportunity to work with him this one last time slip away. It's our last night here, after all, and I'll prolly never see him again, after tonight. So I agree.

We load all of the pieces of wall into the bed of the pickup- a laughably easy task- but then I have him help me load some of the more heavy, yet delicate, pieces of equipment and his help seems a bit more justified.

"You know, I've never seen a fire-breather before," Edward says eventually, "It would have been really interesting to see your act."

"Oh, it's really somethin,'" I reply, maybe just a little bit conceitedly, "the audience gets real worked up over the danger and possibility of me getting' hurt." He stares at me curiously. "Are you in danger?" he asks.

"Nah, not really," I reply casually. "I mean, there's always the chance that somethin' could happen, but it's relatively safe," I muse. "I know my job title is 'fire-breather,' but a lot of what I do is more like fire-dancing… It's really safer than you'd think though. Maybe next time we're in town you could come see us," I add casually.

"Yeah, maybe," he agrees politely. I doubt he'd ever remember to actually come, though.

By now we've loaded all of the equipment into the truck and I've been comin' up with little things for him to help me with. I don' really want to say goodbye to the man, but it's gettin' dark and I've run out of anything left to pack up. "Ah, it's almost a shame we'll be leaving tomorrow," I comment out loud, wishing I could stay and get to know him a little better. Edward looks at me with a slightly horrified look on his face and I've almost begun to think that maybe he's caught on to his feelin's for him, but—

"You're leaving tomorrow? I thought you guys were staying for at least one more day!" His horrified expression has been replaced by a sad and weary one.

"We finished early and it's best to get a move on to California as quickly as we can so we have more time to set up," I tell him in a guarded tone. I'm not really sure what the problem is. "Hey," I tentatively put a hand on his shoulder, "are you okay?"

My arm drops to my side as he slumps down to sit on the edge of the stage. "Yeah, I'll be okay. I was just counting on you guys being here one more day…" He blushes and turns his head to face away from me before adding softly, "I really need the money."

Oh. I'm not really sure quite what to say to that, so I sit down next to him and we just sit there in silence for a few minutes. I'm rackin' my brain for some way I could help him, but there's only really one thing I can think of and it's a long shot for sure. I want to do something though, so I just go for it.

"Hey, have you ever thought of comin' with us," I ask, not lookin' at him, but I can see his eyebrows furrow out of the corner of my eye. "I— I don't think that'll work, Jasper," he says finally. "I'm not really the type for this sort of life. Besides, I really don't want to have to live in a tent for the rest of my life," he says with a snort.

"Well, what about an RV?" I ask him. He just looks at me. "How am I supposed to get an RV when I can barely afford to eat?" he finally asks, one eyebrow raised. He's lookin' at me like I'm an idiot or somethin.'

"Well, you could always stay in mine," I offer cautiously, revealin' my plan. I'm going to really have to play this one carefully. I really do want to do somethin' to help the man out but if he knew I liked him in _that_ way, I know he'd never accept. "You know, just until you've saved up a little money and can afford to buy your own," I add.

He looks at me contemplatively for a moment before shakin' his head. "I don't know, Jasper, I just don't see it. Plus I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality. Who knows when I'd be able to afford my own RV," he says finally and I take it as a good sign that he didn't just say 'no' outright.

I smile lightly at him, but internally, I'm dancin' the conga. "Hey, don' worry about it, ya hear? You'd be makin' a lot more money if you hired on with us full time and really," I add, "what better option do you have? I'm practically offerin' you a full-time job here." I hope that last bit isn' too harsh, but I've really got to make him see reality and the truth is that we're his best option. In truth though, I'm tellin' myself that just as much as I'm tellin' him. I tell myself that I'm not doin' this for purely selfish reasons.

_Nope, not at all._

Well, it took a bit more cajolin,' but Edward finally agreed to come with us. I had to ask our boss about it, of course, and he agreed as we'd lost a few members recently and hadn't yet replaced them. That sorta thing happens all the time for us. People are always joinin' up and people are always leavin' to settle down somewhere and our merry band continues on its way. Some of us are in it for the long haul, though. I've been with them quite a few years myself, but I am not nearly our 'oldest' member.

I stretch my body as long as I can and settle deeper into the light cotton sheets on my bed. Lookin' around at my neat little camper I can tell just how cramped things are going to be for a while. _Can't say that I'll mind being in such close proximity to Edward, though_, I think to myself with a small smile. He will be here tomorrow mornin' and then we'll be on our way to California. It's going to be a busy day.

* * *

**[Edward POV]**

The first thing on my mind when I wake up this morning is the conversation I had with Jasper last night. I allow myself a small groan and then force myself to get up and get moving. Sharing such a small space with another man is definitely another one of those things that's not at the top of my to-do list, but in the end, Jasper was right. I don't really have any other options right now and this will be a good, steady-paying job where I can work on getting back on my feet.

Hopefully it won't take me too long to save up for my own camper, though. I've seen Jasper's and although it looks very nice on the outside, it is also impossibly small. I have no idea how we're both going to be able to be in it together without being on top of one another all the time…

I brush the thought aside with a light sigh. There's no use thinking like that now.

It's almost sad how quickly I'm able to pack up all of my possessions. Two medium-sized bags contain everything I own save the tent which packs up neatly into its own little bag.

I shoulder everything and make my way over to Jasper's. Most of the camp is pretty still yet, so I should still have a little time to settle in a bit before we hit the road.

I'm still five yards away from Jasper's door when I begin to smell the most delicious aroma. It's sausage and eggs and my mouth is watering just smelling them. I knock soundly on the lower portion of the door, below the screen and Jasper's face peeks around a corner at me. "Come on in, you're just in time! I made breakfast!"

I make my way into the sea foam green camper and come to a rest by Jasper in the 'kitchen.' He waves me to a small table with booth style seats directly opposite the door and himself and right behind the cab. I quietly take a look around at my new home.

On the counter where Jasper is cooking sits not a range, but a toaster oven that has been pushed aside to make room for a Coleman grill on which he is making breakfast in an old, cast iron skillet. There's a small fridge underneath the countertop and cupboards above. There's a tiny sink even. The booth seating backs up on the other side to a small room which must be the bathroom. In the back, behind a curtain which has been pulled aside, is a single and rather small bed. _Wait_….

I look back to Jasper to find that he has paused in his cooking to watch my reactions to the place. I must have a panicked expression on my face because he laughs heartily at me. "Don't worry, Edward, we won't be sharin' a bed," he tells me. I am a little relieved to hear this, but I can't imagine where the other person is supposed to sleep. On the floor? In one of the cab seats?

He's still chuckling a little as he gestures for me to stand up. I do and he takes my shoulder to spin me around gently so I am facing the table and seats.

"In such a small place like this almost everything has another purpose," he says, grasping at something underneath the table top and then pushing the table down until it reaches top of the small platform on which it stands. He then takes the backs of the two booth seats and places them over the table top. Where once stood a table now lies another small and perfectly flat bed. Jasper then lifts up one of the cushions that made up the seat to reveal a hollow base.

"You can put your things in these," he tells me and puts everything back into place. I'm definitely relieved now that I know I'll have my own bed, but I can tell that it's still going to be extremely cramped in here. At least I'll have some room to move around outside when we're parked at the festivals.

Jasper allows me to sit in silence at the table while he finishes cooking. I definitely appreciate it because this is going to be a really big change for me and it's nice to be able to just sit and think.

In no time at all Jasper's done and he slides some food onto a plate for me along with his own. My protests sound weak even to my ears, so I just dig in. I really am hungry and I haven't had a meal this good in quite some time.

I'm a little embarrassed to have finished my food about three times faster than Jasper is eating his, but he just chuckles and reloads my plate for me. _If we're going to eat like this every morning, it might not be so bad after all, _I think to myself.

When we're both finished, Jasper takes the dishes to the tiny sink and begins washing. I feel useless watching so I quickly grab the dishtowel and begin drying for him. It takes a little bit of trial and error finding the proper place for everything, but I get it done. Each cabinet, I notice, has a magnetized lock that keeps them from popping open on the road. It's amazing how practical the camper really is.

After finishing up, Jasper begins to walk around storing things away and getting everything strapped in place to prepare for our trip. I'm standing around pretty uselessly and keep having to get out of his way and he eventually suggests I take a shower before we leave.

I try to grab everything out of my bag as quickly as I can and stow it under the booth cushions so I can get out of his way.

Upon walking into the bathroom, I'm immediately struck by how tiny it is. It must contain the world's smallest shower and there is no walking space at all. There's room for one to use the toilet, with a tiny little sink and medicine cabinet. The door would never be able to open inward. There's standing room only.

I glance around for a moment before settling for piling my things neatly on the tank of the toilet and stepping into the shower. There's barely room to bend over to wash my feet but the hot water running down my back feels so amazing that I can't bring myself to care. It must be one of the best showers I've ever had, after not taking a proper one in so long. I wash my hair twice then suds up until I'm covered head to toe. Every part of my body is washed carefully and thoroughly and I can feel the dirt and grime of being essentially homeless leaving my body until I feel fresh— like a human again.

And speaking of human, there's a certain part of me that hasn't overlooked the hot water and gentle scrub, but I know that I'm certainly not going to be able to take care of _that _sort of problem for awhile living in such cramped quarters. I ignore it.

I confess to dawdling a bit because I just don't want it to end, but eventually my skin starts to prune and I get out. There's a dual towel rack on the back of the door and one of them looks fresh so I go ahead and use it. I give my teeth a good scrub and then carefully dig into my pile of fresh clothes and begin to get dressed. But when the pile is gone and I'm still shirtless, I realize that I must have left my shirt in my bag in my haste. I briefly consider putting my old, dirty one back on, but I just can't bring myself to do it when I'm feeling so clean. It will have to be washed before I can wear it again. That thought causes me to pause for a moment, my hand on the door. _How do we wash our clothes, anyway?_ I just shrug and push the door open. I'll have to ask Jasper later.

* * *

**[Jasper POV]**

I've finished gettin' everythin' ready to go and now I'm just waitin' for Edward to be done in the bathroom. I can hear the commotion of everyone getting' ready to leave outside and I know I'll need to get goin' right soon, but I don' want to rush Edward. I know how long it's been since he's had a proper shower and I know he must be enjoyin' it.

I can hear the water shut off and the sink runs for a moment. When I hear that shut off too, I hop out real quick and disconnect the camper from the amenities so we can get movin' as soon as we can. I'm just roundin' the corner inside the door when the bathroom door opens and out steps Edward— shirtless.

He must not have taken as long towelin' off as he did showerin,' because his chest is still slightly damp. I can tell by the way the sun glistens ever so slightly off his pale white skin— nothing a few good weeks of working at the festival won't fix.

The months of hard livin' have given him a lean look, but I can tell by the definition in his chest and stomach he'll be somthin' to see once he gets a little meat on his bones. As it is, the light golden-brown trail leadin' from his navel right down into his jeans already has me starin' at a rather inappropriate place.

"Jasper?" My head pops up back to Edward's face. He's giving me a slightly odd look.

"Hey, sorry, you caught me spacin' off there; I was just tryin' to figure out if I have everythin' ready," I say in a natural voice and push past him toward the cab. "Ya forget your shirt?" I ask.

"Yeah," he replies simply. "I'll just grab a new one real quick and then we can be on our way."

I sit down in the driver's seat and carefully adjust an *ahem* _problem _that seems to have developed while I look in the rearview mirror to make sure that I'm not spotted.

I watch as Edward throws on an old t-shirt and it's much tighter than the ones I've seen him wearin' before. It really enhances the definition that I saw hidden there earlier and I have to tear my eyes away as he starts makin' his way up to the passenger seat.

"Are we all set to go?" he asks, sliding down into the seat. All I can do is nod in return.

_It's going to be a long drive to California._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, sorry about taking so long to update. Life has been quite busy lately, especially with the addition of an 8-week old feral kitten to the family. She takes up the majority of my free time, lol.

Thank you all so much for all the positive reviews! I'm really excited that you're getting into it and I can't wait to see the reactions to future content. As always, your reviews drive my stories. I love you all. (:

There was one specific review asking me for the period this takes place in. Well, I'd been considering that a bit myself and, in the end, I did decide to go with sometime around the 50s. Obviously that was a time well before I was born, so I am going to try and make things as authentic as I can. Please feel free to correct me if I stray a little bit.

Also, I am still looking for a beta, so please message me if you're interested. The perk is sneak peaks, obviously! ;)

And for those who are interested in Jasper's camper, I am modelling it after this beauty here: prewarcar(*dot*)c.o.m/images/austin-camper-1948-2(*dot*)jpg Hehe, it really doesn't want me to post that. :P

Thanks for reading, y'all! Hope to see you soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I do not own Twilight.  
**Warning:** This fic contains a male/male relationship. It is rated M for future explicit content and mild language. You have been warned! All human.  
**Summary:** Having fallen on tough times, Edward, with nowhere else to go, joins a traveling Renaissance fair. Along his travels he finds the love, friendship and family that he's never had. Edward/Jasper

* * *

**Renaissance Man** **Chapter Three**

[**Edward POV**]

We're barely an hour into the drive and I'm beginning to get a bit antsy already. I'm not the type to like sitting around doing nothing and the conversation lulled to a stop a quarter of an hour ago.

We're still trailing the same truck and trailer that we were when we left Seattle. "Do you always travel in groups like this?" I ask Jasper, turning slightly to face him in my seat.

"On short trips like this where we're scheduled to be at our next stop within a day or two, yes. But there are several trips throughout the year where most of us go our own way. Now," he says with a glance in my direction, "we've got about an eighteen hour drive still ahead of us to California where our next event is. Since we're a day ahead of time we'll have a day to hang around and get settled before gettin' to work settin' up like usual. After California our next stop is in Texas and we're not scheduled there for a week or so after we pack up. It's about a day's drive straight there, but I always like to make a detour up into the Grand Canyon state park to camp out for a few days. It's one of the longest breaks we get in the season and it's nice to just sit and relax awhile."

I mull the information over for a moment. It sounds like I'll be intruding on one of his only vacations this year and I'm reminded of just how much I owe him for taking me in like this. And I'm sure that this will be just the beginning of any number of inconveniences I'll be subjecting him to…

"You know, I've never been to the Grand Canyon," I offer. Jasper turns to look at me briefly with a look that is both pleased and relieved.

"I wasn't really sure if you'd want to go or not," he tells me. "Well, I mean, we don' have to go," he corrects himself quickly, "but I think you'd have a good time if you did."

Well, whether or not I believe that I'll have fun, I've already decided to go. It would be unfair of me to ask him to give up this trip and who knows? Maybe it will be a good time after all.

"No, I'd like to go; it sounds great." I try to add as much enthusiasm to my voice and as I can muster and smile. Jasper just smiles back and begins fussing with the stereo. He soon locates one of the only stations in range and Buddy Holly relieves me from having to continue the awkward conversation.

….

Driving, driving and more driving. We've chitchatted here and there and at one point we even ate the sandwiches that Jasper had thoughtfully made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. It's been a decent drive and the scenery had gotten increasingly beautiful as we neared the coast, but now it's dark and even the radio has gone silent. We're unable to get any decent signal through the trees and mountains. There's still seven or so hours left into the drive. At one point I offered to take over, but Jasper would have none of it. _"You don' know where we're goin' and besides, you've never driven out here before." _I sigh to myself in remembrance and before I know it, it turns into a full-blown yawn. I'll never know why a full day of doing nothing but sitting in a car can make a person so tired.

It's not long before I start nodding off in my seat. Jasper has apparently noticed my sometimes-violent head bobs, because eventually I receive a gentle nudge to the side. I open my eyes to peer blearily over at Jasper.

"You're goin' to get a stiff neck if you keep on like that," he tells me with a grin. I just grumble a little and rub my fists into my eyes, trying to keep them open, but the traitors just keep sliding slowly shut on me…

"Tell ya what," a voice to my left startles me and I realize that I've fallen asleep again. "It's not really safe for you to be sleepin' in your bed while we're drivin,' so why don' you go ahead and go back and sleep in mine for a bit. When you wake up, we'll be in California."

I attempt to put up a fight, but my argument sounds pitiful even to my ears. _What's the harm, really_? Eventually I give up and agree and make my way to the back of the camper. I slide behind the curtain that separates the bedroom from everything else and immediately plop down onto the mattress. It's surprisingly soft and a lot larger than it originally seemed. The last thought that fills my mind as I drift off to sleep is of how nice it smells. Like smoke from a campfire.

….

The next morning I am awakened by a loud banging on the door. The swiftness with which the banging stops tells me that Jasper was already awake. Now that I'm up, the combination of the bright sun streaming through the tiny window and the muffled conversation being held up front will make it impossible for me to fall back to sleep. I stretch good and long and for the first time in the light, I take a look around at my surroundings.

There's a small, yet deep shelf alongside one wall of the room and the opposite wall plays host to a few pictures. One features Jasper sitting around a campfire with Bella, Alice, Jacob and a few other people that I don't recognize. The last is a picture of a much younger Jasper with a young man and lady that I'm sure I've never seen before. On the wall directly above the bed is a round clock currently pointing to 12:30. _Shit. I can't believe I slept so late…_

I sigh and throw the covers off. I didn't bring any of my things in here with me last night, so I'll have to go and grab my bag before I can change my clothes. I give one more good stretch before finally getting out of bed and heading out.

* * *

**[Jasper POV]**

I'm an early riser, so it's no surprise when I wake up before Edward. I guess I've just always liked gettin' an early start in the day so there's plenty of time to get to everythin'. _Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise_ and all that. I don' know about wealthy, but I certainly feel better if I get up earlier. After grabbin' myself a glass of orange juice from the fridge, I sit down and plan out the day. I hooked the electric up last night because, though the RV battery keeps the fridge goin' while it's runnin,' it stops workin' just as soon as you turn the engine off. I didn't get around to the water, though, so that's first on my list. I also need to get some wash done and check for mail. I'll wait til Edward is awake for those, though, so he can see how everything works around here. I should probably introduce him to the rest of the crew at some point too…

My musings are cut short by a loud bangin' at the door and I answer it hastily, not wantin' Edward to be woken up by it. A bright, cheery face is waitin' for me on the other side. "Good morning, Jasper!"

"Mornin,' Carlisle. Been a while, huh," I greet him in return and move back so he can enter and he sits down at the table while I pour him a glass of orange juice.

"I've been tied up with Seth since that jousting accident, two weeks ago" he replies with a sour look on his normally calm and confident face and accepts the glass. "I really wish it were feasible for us to keep our own horses. You never can trust these farmers' horses. That one seemed skittish to begin with, but Seth still insisted on using him. It spooked right out of the gate. It crashed into a side wall and completely crushed his leg in between. I looked at him, but you know I don't have the capability to deal with crushed bones on the road. We ended up taking him to the hospital for x-rays and a cast. He's not been the easiest patient since," he finishes with a small smile.

Carlisle is our travelin' doctor and surgeon. He treats everythin' from the common cold to minor broken bones and burns. He's treated me personally a number of times. Carlisle gets away with doing a lot of things he shouldn' out on the field with us because he's good at what he does and knows when to throw in the towel and take someone in. He could be a famous surgeon, even though he's only in his early twenties, yet instead, he travels around with us. If Seth's leg had been a clean break instead of a crush, I reckon he'd have been able to fix it here, but too many things can go wrong with an injury like Seth's.

I shake my head. "I wish we could have horses too, but you know they could never take that kind of travelin' and bein' locked up the rest of the time, besides." We borrow trained horses from the local farmers around our fairs and this isn't the first time one has caused an incident for us.

"I know it's not feasible, but it certainly would make my job easier. So would working with people who aren't reckless and determined to get themselves into trouble," Carlisle says with another smile.

I shrug and smile back a little cheekily. I've not always been the most careful myself. "How's Esme been," I ask, changin' the subject.

"Oh, you know her, she loves having a patient to dote upon. Seth's probably never been so well taken care of in his life," he laughed gently. "I might have to force him to get back on his feet."

I chuckle in return. Carlisle's wife, Esme, is one of the most motherly people I have ever met. She's always tryin' her best to help and always invites us over to dinner. They're like the perfect couple, the good doctor and his wife. But to me, they're basically my family. They're much more my parents than those I left behind in Texas. I think they know that; they've always treated me so much like a son.

Just then, interruptin' my thoughts, the curtain to the bedroom in back slides open and Carlisle and I both stand up in surprise.

"Oh! Sorry, Jasper, I didn't realize you had company," Carlisle starts and I wave him off quickly with half a pointed look in his direction.

"Carlisle, this is Edward. He was just hired on. He's going to be staying with me for a little bit until he can get back on his feet and afford his own RV. Edward, this is Carlisle, our doctor." I make clear our relationship before Carlisle can accidentally out me.

"Nice to meet you, Edward," Carlisle says warmly, stepping forward to shake Edwards hand. "Likewise," replies the latter, albeit a bit awkwardly. I can feel Carlisle smilin' broadly at me, but I refuse to look in his direction.

"Well, we'll get outta here for a few so you can get changed and I'll hook up the water so you can brush your teeth and everythin,'" I say warmly to Edward and Carlisle follows me out.

I head around to the back of the RV and start hookin' the lines up like I promised and Carlisle comes to stand next to me.

"Well, he certainly is a good-looking guy," he whispers to me, a smile on his face and a glint in his eye. Oddly enough, he reminds me of how a father would act when his son would bring a girl home. I glance back over my shoulder at him. "He's definitely straight," I whisper back in reply with a roll of my eyes.

"But you wish he weren't." The way he says it isn't a question. I don' answer, but I guess my grim face and silence is answer enough for him and he laughs at my misfortune.

"What have you gotten yourself into, Jasper, inviting a straight man you have a crush on to move in with you," he questions me in a whisper, laughing' at my back. I groan quietly in reply and pound softly on the side of the RV to let Edward know the water's workin.' A few seconds later I hear the shower start. I hope he doesn' mind it cold. The water hasn' had time to warm up, yet.

I move to the side of the camper and unpack three smallish foldin' chairs from the underside storage and set them up and Carlisle and I sit down with the comfortable familiarity of somethin' done a hundred times.

"I couldn't help myself," I say finally in a normal voice, knowing Edward won't be able to hear me over the shower. "He really needed the help and I couldn't really think of anythin' else to do at the time…" I lean my head back to look skyward. "Do you really think it's that bad of an idea," I ask him.

"I don't know," he says with a smile, "but I do know you're not always the most subtle of people… I just hope it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass."

I shrug lightly. He's got me there, so there's no chance of arguin.' "What's the worst that could happen? I already know he's straight so it's not like I can blow the chances of somethin' ever happenin.' I guess the worst thing that could happen is that I might scare him away eventually."

Carlisle just shrugs in return. "I hope you're right, Jasper. Just be careful."

* * *

**[Edward POV]**

"And this is where we do our wash," Jasper says of a small outbuilding on the outskirts of the park. "They had this old pump here, so we paid to have this little building with this washing machine put in. We gotta dry all the clothes out on the lines, though," he adds with a shrug. "Still, it's better here than most places we go to. A lot of the time we have to go to the local coin laundry or wash the clothes by hand. The locals give us a good deal, but this really is convenient and we don' get that many luxuries."

Well, this place is a far cry from home, but as long as it gets the job done it can't be too bad. After recovering from my freezing cold shower, Jasper invited to show me around. We've been all over the park and he's shown me where pretty much everything is, including where all the sets are going to be installed and where the nearest market is. Since we're right near town it's not very far of a walk.

The most surprising thing, however, was the mail. According to Jasper, all of their mail goes to a lady stationed in Texas. From there, everyone has authorized her to either pay their bills out of their paycheck or to forward them to P.O. boxes at the fair's next stops. All of the personal letters are forwarded also, so there tends to be a pile of mail waiting for everyone when they arrive. Someone picks it up when they get there and puts it in one of the general tents for everyone to come and pick up. There's also a collection box for outgoing letters. The whole system seems a little archaic, but nobody seems to mind so it must work out okay… I make a note to send a letter off to Emmett soon.

After the washroom, we head back to the RV. It's still early in the afternoon, but it looks like everyone else has settled in. A lot of the campers have their shades out and people are milling about in chairs or wandering around chatting with one another. There's a table already set up next to our RV and Carlisle and Alice sit across from one another separated by a chess board. Jacob and Bella are sitting nearby, chatting amongst themselves. I get the feeling that there's always a crowd around Jasper's RV like this.

"Hey, Jasper, Edward," Alice calls out to us without looking up from the board as we come near. She picks up a black piece and moves it across the board before finally looking up at us. "What have you been up to?" She returns her gaze to the board as Carlisle moves his piece and it's his turn to smile at us.

"Nothin' much, just showin' Edward around," Jasper replies, pulling up two more chairs for us to sit on and turns to me.

"It's uncommon that we'd get a whole day free at this stop, so everyone's takin' advantage of it today. There's nothin' to do 'til tomorrow, so was there anythin' else in particular you wanted to do?" Jasper asks me.

There isn't really, so I politely decline. Jasper just shrugs. "Alright then."

We watch the chess game for a bit and everyone falls into a natural conversation. Everyone but me, that is. It's not intentional and Jasper keeps trying to include me, but it's difficult when they've all been friends for so long and I'm the newcomer. I can tell that I could fit right in someday, but for now I'm just kind of tired of dealing with the awkwardness of new friends.

I sit around for a while before deciding to go ahead and write that letter to Emmett. I let Jasper know and he instructs me on which drawer to find the paper and stamps and whatnot. I find them easily and sit down in the kitchen to write.

At first, I'm not sure what to say, but before I know it, I've basically written down everything that's happened since Emmett went to college. I make sure to add our schedule and to invite him if he ever gets the chance to come, though it seems unlikely with him so far away.

Everyone's laughing as I exit the RV and I wave my letter at them as a means of letting them know where I'm off to before heading to the collection box.

It's times like this where I really miss having a stable home life. I know it's just a little homesickness and I really do hope that I can manage to make it in this ragtag bunch.

My hand hovers over the box for a moment before finally dropping the letter in. It seems so final for some reason, but there is a small amount of relief from it too. It feels like… like by letting everyone know where I am that there's a note of finality or permanence to it.

On my way back, I hear someone call my name. I glance off toward the direction of the hail to see a young, long-haired brunette walking toward me. I don't think I've met her before, so I assume she's calling someone else. She calls again and I stop. I search her again, but I'm sure I've never seen her. Finally, she catches up to me. "Hello, I'm Esme- Carlisle's wife," she introduces herself with an outstretched hand. I shake it. "Hi," I say in return. I don't bother to introduce myself since she already seems to know who I am.

"I was looking for you! Carlisle said I'd probably find you off this way. I wanted to invite you to dinner, since you're new and all. I invited Jasper too, but he said he had things to do. I made plenty of chicken and dumplings, and I don't want it to go to waste!"

I am getting a bit hungry and it seems like she made it especially for me. It would be rude to decline so I agree and we head off toward an RV near Jasper's. Theirs is a full-sized motor home and when I step inside I can't believe the difference in size. Carlisle calls out a greeting and I wander over into the kitchen to find a full oven with stove and a full-sized fridge. There's a pretty large table too that connects to the wall. I can tell that if the support were removed it would fold down for storage. That whole section of the motor home seems to be popped out as though it is brought back in for travel.

The smell coming from the oven is delicious and I must have a hungry look in my eyes because Carlisle laughs and says, "I know Jasper's a decent cook, but he's got nothing on Esme." Esme laughs too and gestures both of us to sit down and ladles out three bowls and brings them to the table for everyone.

"Eat as much as you like, Edward! You look so thin and there's more than plenty to go around!" I blush and Carlisle laughs. "Quit mothering him, dear, he's a grown man!" This time it's Esme's turn to blush and we all get a chuckle.

The time passes by quickly and I find myself surprised at just how at home I feel there. I can tell that they accept me as I am and there's no awkwardness or anything. I am actually a little sorry when it comes time to leave, but Esme makes sure I promise to come back again soon. It's almost like having a family again.

Jasper's sitting at the table reading when I come back. He looks up as I enter. "Hey, how was dinner?"

"It was really nice," I reply. "I really like Carlisle and Esme."

"Yeah, they're practically like my parents," he says with a chuckle and I can totally understand why. I don't know what his story is, but he never talks about where he's from and I've come to wonder if he's an orphan like me. "I thought you said you had something to do," I comment with an arched eyebrow at his book. He shrugs. "It took less time than I thought," he says before getting up. "Well, I'm turning in, so I'll leave you to your bed. Good night!" He disappears into the back behind the curtain.

_Somehow_, I think to myself as I unpack my things and start the transformation from table to bed, _I don't think he had anything going on at all._ I think he was just trying to give me some time to find my place here. I guess he noticed I was feeling a little out of place here and it reminds me that I really am not alone. I have at least one good friend to help me through it all.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey, everyone, I'm back. I'm sorry for the extreme delay in getting this updated. It's not much of an excuse, but I now start work at 4:45 AM and I've been having trouble balancing work and college. In a few short months, however, I sill have my second degree and I will be done. (: I will try my hardest to update (significantly) more. You guys have seen me through the worst of it and I can see the light at the other end of the tunnel.

If you have stuck with me, thank you. You make everything worthwhile.

I didn't mean to leave you all hanging, but fear not, I will not abandon this fic. I have every intention to finish it. The boys' story has become quite dear to me and I think about it frequently. I have big plans for them!

And sorry about not giving you the road trip you were looking for, but I wrote this chapter just as I planned it. It was such a short drive, after all, and besides, I have a very special trip planned for the boys in an upcoming chapter. ;)

Please stay tuned! I love you all!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I do not own Twilight.  
**Warning:** This fic contains a male/male relationship. It is rated M for future explicit content and mild language. You have been warned! All human.  
**Summary:** Having fallen on tough times, Edward, with nowhere else to go, joins a traveling Renaissance fair. Along his travels he finds the love, friendship and family that he's never had. Edward/Jasper

* * *

**Renaissance Man** **Chapter Four**

**[Edward POV]**

The next morning is chaotic. I am awakened by the sound of water running in the bathroom and I blearily rub my eyes and search for a clock. I find a small one on the wall opposite me near the sink. It's 4:00 AM. I groan and cover my face with my blanket for a few moments before tossing them off to the side and getting up, muttering a few curses under my breath. I turn my bed back into a table and hastily get dressed when I hear the water shut off and the muffled sounds of Jasper getting dressed himself in the cramped bathroom. I grab a glass of orange juice from the fridge and sit down at the table, sipping it. It perks me up a little, but I really wish I had some coffee and I resolve to make that one of my first purchases. I don't know how long I'll last here if I keep having to get up at this time without the much-needed caffeine.

The bathroom door swings open and Jasper emerges looking clean-shaven and so awake and alert it's almost criminal. He notices me sitting there at the table and chuckles at my slightly haggard appearance and messy hair. "Not a mornin' person, huh? Well, don't worry, we'll break ya of that soon enough," he says with a grin. I just roll my eyes and take my turn in the small bathroom. He's right, though. I never was a morning person. I just don't see why people society can't just start the day a little later. I mean, with the invention of electric lights and daylight savings time, it's not like there's a lot to be done that can't be accomplished when it's a little darker out. I try to quell my useless internal ramblings and start brushing my teeth. I decide to leave the shower for later and just take care of the necessities.

I emerge to find Jasper finishing up toasting some bread alongside a few eggs on the small grill. I dig out some plates, remembering where I put them away last time and he smiles appreciatively at me. I think he understands my need for silence as I try to wake up.

As we eat, I begin to prepare myself mentally for the day and by the time we're done, most of the grogginess has worn off. We rinse off our plates and head out the door.

We are heading off toward the parked vehicles, but stop just a few RV's down. Jasper notes the confused look on my face. "Jacob's never there on time," he says while walking alongside to the back. He starts banging, not on the door of the RV, but the back end. "He probably wouldn' get there at all, if I didn' come wake his ass nearly every mornin.'" I hear a few curses and a bunch of shuffling before, a moment later, the door swings open to reveal Jacob, barefoot and still struggling to get his t-shirt on over his head. I just roll my eyes.

We walk back through the camp until we come to the trucks and trailers. We locate the one we loaded up three days ago in Washington and Jasper hops into the driver's seat. I'm a little confused for a moment before I realize that we obviously need to take the materials to the right location. The back of te truck is absolutely packed, so there's no way we can ride in the bed. Jacob and I walk around to the other side and we stop at the door. He sizes me up for a moment. "You're definitely the thinner of the two of us," he points out. "You're going to need to be the one in the middle."

I nod and sigh internally. I hate to be squished up against other people and just hope that the ride is a short one. I hop up into the truck and scoot over as close to Jasper as I can, with my legs shoved awkwardly to the side to avoid the stick shifter. I can feel the heat coming off his body and I reflect that the mornings are starting to get much cooler, signaling the start of fall. Jacob follows behind and once he's crammed in here, the door barely closes shut behind him. "Careful not to eat too much of Esme's home cooking or we're not going to fit in here anymore," Jacob jokes laughingly. I just smile tightly and try not to grit my teeth.

Jasper chuckles at the comment, starts the truck and we're on our way. As he reaches over to put it in gear, a wave scent reaches my nose. It's a little familiar, but unusual. The next time he reaches over, I close my eyes and inhale a little deeper, trying to pinpoint the smell. This time it's much clearer: campfire smoke and something that must be Jasper's own musk, I think, recognizing the smell from his bed. I open my eyes and hope he didn't notice me sniffing him, like some weirdo.

The drive is pretty short, but every time Jasper changes gears, his arm brushes uncomfortably against my leg. At first, I try to wiggle away from the contact, but it's no use. There's just no room to move in there. I just have to sit and deal with it. When the truck stops and Jacob gets out, I slide out after him as quickly as I can and stretch my legs to relieve the stiffness from the awkward position. I notice briefly that I'm completely covered in goose bumps and resolve to wear a long-sleeved shirt next time.

...

The base of the stage is already set up, like last time. This makes it a lot easier for us to get everything up fast. Jasper and Jacob begin installing the special equipment, lines and gas tanks below the stage while I start rebuilding the walls and backdrop. It's pretty simple and my part goes by quickly enough. Jasper had shown me the system of numbering on the plywood and that corresponded with the numbers on each different stage, so it was like putting together a relatively easy puzzle. The fire breathing equipment was much more complicated and had to be put together precisely to ensure safety.

I watch Jasper and Jacob struggle with a particularly stubborn section of pipe for a moment. It's obvious there's nothing I can do to help as I'd only be in the way. The section finally maneuvered into place, Jasper stands up and wipes the sweat from his brow. "I'm going to see if anyone else needs help," I inform him.

"Okay. Good job, by the way. Because of your help we we're goin' to be able to get this done much quicker than usual. Thanks." He smiles broadly at me and I can't help but feel happy. I'd hate to seem useless. "Thanks, Edward," Jacob echoes and motions Jasper back. He gives me one more smile and crawls back beneath the stage.

It's nearing ten o'clock now and stands are popping up all over the place, in various states of completion. I avoid the ones that look like they have special equipment and those that have a lot of people working on them in favor of someone who could actually use my help. I wander up and down the pathways and I begin to notice just how big the place is. It's easily twice the size of the one in Seattle and there are many people and stands that I do not recognize. I realize that they must be locals who have a contract to set up here with us. There are a lot more shops and food stalls and I wonder how much it takes away from our revenue.

I am down by the pond when a voice calls out to me. I turn to see Alice waving me over, standing next to a partially completed booth. "If you're looking for something to do, I could use some help," she tells me and hands me a hammer. Her small face lights up in a smile and I can't say no. "Alright, what do I do?" I ask. "Thanks!" she says, clapping her hands together once. "You can see where I've started. Here, this piece goes there, like that!"

I finish nailing in the piece and she hands me another, pointing out again where it goes. "So, Edward, how are you getting along? I know you haven't really had time to get used to anything yet and I know you must really miss your friend Emmett..." she trails off.

"It's going okay," I tell her. "Everything's just such a change. Going from a house to a tent and now Jasper's place… It's all a little overwhelming, you know?" I don't know why I am confiding in her so much, but I immediately feel like I can trust her. "And I do really miss Emmett. He was like the rock that supported me through the storm… But Jasper's been really great. I don't know where I would be without him right now, you know," I reflect. It's true. Jasper really has been a great friend, offering me a place to live and a job. _Friends like that are difficult to find_, I muse.

I look over and she's sitting on a large stump, her legs crossed beneath her, head resting on the back of her hand. I reflect that I'm the one doing all the work now while she instructs, but I don't mind. I just shake my head.

"What is it you do here, anyway?" I question. "What don't I do?" She asks in return, with a single, high-pitched laugh. "I'm a fortune teller. I read crystal balls, palms, hand writing, tea leaves, tarot cards, you name it!" Somehow this doesn't surprise me, coming from someone like her. "Oh? And can you read my future," I challenge. "Of course I can," she replies brightly.

"Well, let's hear it, then."

"Ah, ah, Edward!" I look to see her gleefully shaking her finger at me. "I know your future, but you are not yet ready to hear it! Plus, if I tell you, there's no way you'll allow it to happen." I arch an eyebrow. "What? Some fortune teller you are! Won't even tell me my fortune…" I shake my head in mock disbelief and finish nailing the last piece of the simple booth. It's a small structure with hooks for her to drape a fabric roof, so it really took no time to put together. I think she hardly did anything at all until I came along, in fact.

Alice just smiles mysteriously at the goading and doesn't take the bait. "See you later, Edward. Thanks for the help" she sings and heads off in the direction of the RVs. Something about our conversation niggles the back of my mind, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. I make up my mind to ignore it for now. I decide to head back myself to find some lunch.

I wind my way back through the maze of RVs, noticing in the daylight the proximity of Carlisle and Esme's, just a few down from Jasper's.

Once I finally get there, I can hear some movement from inside the RV and I realize that Jasper has beaten me back. _They must have been able to finish up the rest of the stand pretty quickly_, I think to myself as I walk in the door. It takes my eyes a split moment to adjust to the relative darkness and then I freeze. Standing in the hall across from the bathroom is Jasper himself, still glistening with moisture and stark naked aside from the towel wrapped loosely around his waist. When I walked in, he had been reaching up into a high cabinet near the ceiling, causing the towel to hitch up slightly. The door must have shut loudly behind me because he spins around quickly to see what's going on. I had thought of trying to sneak back out before he noticed I was there, but I can't now.

"Oh, just you, Edward," he says in relief. "You gave me a start. I was just lookin' for some warmer clothes after my shower. The weather's startin' to turn, I've noticed. Don't you think?" I notice my goose bumps have returned from this morning and I just nod back in response to the slight shiver that runs up my spine. He's right, it's definitely getting cooler out.

"Well, anyway," he continues, grabbing the long-sleeved shirt he was searching for from the cabinet, "sorry to have you barge in on me like this. Not used to livin' with anyone, you know? And I didn't expect you back so quick. I guess it's just a good thing I had the good sense to wrap myself in a towel, huh? Now wouldn't _that_ have been a sight!" He chuckles and heads into the back bedroom to change, acting completely normal as if nothing had just happened. Well. I guess nothing really _did_ happen, now that I think of it. I mean, I'd walked in on Emmett in significantly more compromising positions than that… I guess it's just because we're still getting to know each other that it's so unnerving. I shiver again at the thought. _I've got to get out of here_.

I hear Jasper's belt buckle clatter and realize that he's almost done getting dressed. For some reason, I don't really feel like I can face him, so I make a quick exit and rush over to Carlisle's.

I knock on the door hastily and it opens quickly, revealing Esme. "Oh, Edward, how nice to see you! Please come in." She ushers me in the door and over to the table and I sit, trying to silently calm my nerves. "You look hungry, would you like a sandwich?" I am pretty hungry still, but I try to decline. "No, thank you, Esme, I feel bad barging in and forcing you to make food all the time." She laughs brightly in response. "It's no problem at all, dear, it's what I do! And I do love to cook!" She starts grabbing dishes from the fridge and loading a few into the stove.

"It's what you do?" I ask curiously, trying to engage in the conversation. She nods, checking the temperature setting on the oven. "Oh yes. You see, at the end of the day, there's not always a lot of time for cooking. And, well, some people are just too tired to do it themselves. So, every evening while the festival is going on, I cook a nice big meal and whoever's hungry is welcome to come have some. A lot of them do." She smiles, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I like the feeling of having a large family."

...

That night when I get back to the RV, Jasper is still up reading in the kitchen, like the night before. He glances up as the banging of the door announces my entrance. "There you are. I was wonderin' where you'd skedaddled off too." He's giving me a curious look.

"Oh, I was just over at Carlisle and Esme's," I reply quickly. "I had forgotten that they invited me to dinner." _Well, that's technically true_, I think to myself, my face heating up a little, remembering my sudden rush to leave earlier. At Esme's I thought about it at length and I really do believe that it was just the shock of the thing, seeing someone I just met nearly naked. It's enough to make anyone feel a little awkward, I think. In that case, I can't wait to get to know Jasper better so that sort of thing doesn't happen again. He's going to start thinking I'm a nutcase if I keep rushing off like that every time he gets out of the shower.

"She make meatloaf again?" Jasper asks, breaking my thought and I nod. "I'm going to need to get bigger pants, too if she keeps that up," I comment, tugging at the waistline of my pants and Jasper chuckles appreciatively. "I went up nearly two sizes when I started workin' here," he says, shaking his head. "Well, anyway, what did you get up to earlier after you finished helpin' us?"

"Oh, I was helping Alice get her stand ready."

Jasper just shook his head again, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "That girl is always convincin' someone else to do her job for her."

I just shrug back lightly. "Well, it was pretty easy and so I didn't mind."

"You're a good guy," he observes lightheartedly and I feel my face heat a little at the compliment.

"She told me she's a fortune teller," I change the topic, "but wouldn't tell me what my fortune was."

He just chuckles. "Yeah, she won't tell any of us ours either. Not even me, though she's my best friend. Some say it's just as she says and that she can't go on tellin' everyone so close to her. But some say it's because she can't do it in the first place and doesn't want to be found out." He shrugs, folds down the corner of the page of the book he's still holding and closes it, standing up. "Well, I reckon it's time to hit the hay. G'night, Edward."

"Goodnight." I start making my bed, but call out to him before I settle down into it. "What do you think?"

"About what?"

"About Alice. Do _you_ think she can really tell the future?"

"Well, I don' know for sure, but she's right about things an awful lot of the time. It's damned creepy, sometimes… So I reckon she could be honest."

I settle down into my bed and think about it. I've never believed in that ilk before. Yet something about the conversation I had with Alice still niggles the back of my mind…

I'm starting to drift off when it finally hits me; I have never told her about Emmett.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Another chapter! Hopefully this helps make up for my long absence. If you're still with me, thank you! I couldn't do it without you all.

Edward only, this chapter. Don't worry, though, Jasper will be back soon enough!

You may have gotten notices about updates on the other chapters. I have made some considerable changes to chapter one and some minor changes to chapter two. (They might not appear for an hour or two). It's nothing serious, though.

I will try to update soon! Please stay tuned! I hope you're enjoying the direction in which we're heading!


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